Wheel caster glide

ABSTRACT

A wheel caster glide receives caster wheels therein and employs wheel engaging members to keep the glide removably engaged with the wheel in absence of sufficient removal force.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to caster wheels, and more particularly to awheel caster glide for receiving caster wheels therein.

With items having castor wheels, such as furniture articles, it is oftendesirable to provide a protective member between the wheel portion andthe floor or carpet, in order to minimize scratching of floors or tospread the weight of the furniture over a larger area to minimizedeformation of the carpet resulting from long term compression from theweight of the furniture article. These protective members have typicallybeen disk shaped members, but they are easily disassociated from thewheel if the furniture is lifted or moved, resulting in scratching ormarring of the floor from the wheel or of excessive compression of thecarpet in a small area as a result of the user not realizing that theprotector has become disassociated from the wheel. This can lead tofrustration and annoyance for the user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the invention, a wheel caster glide comprises areceiving member for receiving a caster wheel therein, providing alarger base for engagement with a floor.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved wheel caster glide.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improvedwheel caster glide that receives a caster wheel in removable engagement.

The subject matter of the present invention is particularly pointed outand distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification.However, both the organization and method of operation, together withfurther advantages and objects thereof, may best be understood byreference to the following description taken in connection withaccompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to likeelements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a wheel caster glide;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wheel caster glide with a wheel placedtherein;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a wheel caster glide illustrating themanner of placement of a wheel therein;

FIG. 4 is a top view of the wheel caster glide;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the wheel caster glide; and

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the wheel caster glide.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The system according to a preferred embodiment of the present inventioncomprises a member adapted to engagingly receive a caster wheel thereinto provide an improved base for placement on a floor or carpet.

Referring to FIG. 1, the wheel caster glide comprises a base 12 which issubstantially circular in the illustrated embodiment, with verticallyextending wheel receiving well frame 14 mounted thereon. Inside frame14, a wheel engaging lip 16 is provided along an interior face near theperipheral edge of the frame 14, with a corresponding wheel engaging lip16′ being provided along the opposing interior face in a correspondinglocation (not visible in FIG. 1). A wheel receiving space 18 is definedwithin the frame 14, having a curved bottom shape to conform to atypical castor wheel profile. An axle receiving area 20 is provided atthe opposite side walls from the walls carrying engaging lips 16, 16′,providing a space for the ends of the wheel axles to be received. Anaxle support frame receiving area 22 is also provided, shaped and sizedto provide a space to allow the frame portion supporting the axle to bereceived.

FIG. 2 illustrates the castor wheel glide with a caster wheel 24position therein. The castor wheel comprises a wheel axle supportingframe 26 which mounts an axle 28 (visible in FIG. 3) between thedownwardly extending arms 30 of the frame, a castor wheel 32 beingcarried on the axle. The top of the frame carries an upwardly extendingpost 34 which is adapted to engage with the article to which the wheelis mounted, which may comprise a piece of furniture, such as a bedframe, for example.

FIG. 3 illustrates the operation of placing the castor wheel into thecastor wheel glide. The wheel is suitably lowered in the direction ofarrow 36. As the wheel enters into the well defined by frame 14, the lipportions 16, 16′ define therebetween a distance slightly less than thediameter of the caster wheel, while the frame walls define a distance atleast as wide as the diameter of the wheel. The frame or lip portions(or both) are sufficiently pliable to allow deformation to let the wheelpass by the lip portions and into the well on insertion of the wheelwith a certain amount of force, whereupon the frame returns tosubstantially the original configuration such that the lip portions actas lock or engaging members such that the caster wheel glide will remainengaged with the wheel, until the caster glide is intentionally removedfrom engagement with the castor wheel by sufficient force to deform theengaging member sufficiently to allow pulling the wheel and caster glideapart to remove the wheel out of the well. Accordingly, the glide 10 islikely to remain engaged with the wheel even if the furniture or articleto which the castor wheel is mounted is lifted or moved, until such timeas the glide is purposefully removed from engagement with the wheel.

FIG. 4 is a top view of the caster wheel glide illustrating the variouscomponents thereof. FIG. 5 is a side sectional view taken along line 5-5of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a said view.

FIG. 7 is a bottom view of the caster wheel glide. In the illustratedembodiment, the glide is made of a molded plastic, and the curved shapeof the bottom of the wheel receiving well 18 is provided via curvedbottom portion 18′. Rib members 38 provide support strength.

The device can be manufactured in various sizes to accommodate variouscaster wheel configurations and sizes.

Accordingly, an improved wheel caster glide is provided that staysengaged with the wheel unless explicitly removed by the user.

While the illustrated embodiment shows the engaging lips 16, 16′ asextending substantially the width of the walls of portion 14, this isnot required. An the lip portions can extend only a portion of thewidth, for example in a 6 cm wide portion 14, the lips may be 8 mm inlength. Further, while illustrated at the peripheral edge, the lips maysuitably be positioned lower in the wall. In a particular embodiment,the upper portion of the lip is 8 mm below the top edge of the wall ofportion 14, the lip is 8 mm in length, and the lip is 1 to 2 mm inheight, extending into the well region less than 1 mm. An alternativeversion of the device employs a single lip portion 16 or 16′, ratherthan both, as a single lip portion.

The while the illustrated embodiment provides a substantially circularconfiguration of the base portion of the wheel castor glide, it can beof other configurations, such as square, rectangular, or multi-sided,whether regular equal shape edges or irregular.

A typical material of which the wheel castor glide is made is plastic,such as by injection molding, but other manufacturing methods andmaterials can be employed.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been shown anddescribed, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that manychanges and modifications may be made without departing from theinvention in its broader aspects. The appended claims are thereforeintended to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within thetrue spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A wheel caster glide, comprising: a wheel receiving portion; and awheel engaging portion for removably engaging the wheel to encourage thewheel and caster glide to remain in engaged relation.
 2. The wheelcaster glide according to claim 1, wherein said wheel receiving portioncomprises at least first and second opposing members defining a spacetherebetween for accommodating a caster wheel therein and wherein saidwheel engaging portion comprises at least one stop member defined on oneof said first and second members for providing a stop to resist removalof the castor wheel when accommodated in said space.
 3. The wheel casterglide according to claim 1, wherein said wheel engaging portioncomprises a raised stop member along a face or edge of one of said firstand second members extending in a direction of said space.
 4. The wheelcaster glide according to claim 3, wherein said raised stop memberextends substantially along an entire face or edge of one of said firstand second members.
 5. The wheel caster glide according to claim 3,wherein said raised stop member extends less than along substantially anentire face or edge of one of said first and second members.
 6. A wheelcaster glide, comprising: a wheel receiving portion having a receivingregion of width equal to or greater than the diameter of a wheel to bereceived therein; and a wheel engaging portion for defined to provide awidth region in said wheel receiving portion less than the diameter ofthe wheel, whereby a wheel is restrained against removal from said wheelreceiving portion by engagement of the wheel and said wheel engagingportion, absent sufficient removal force to deform the engaging portionor the receiving portion or the wheel engaging the wheel, forencouraging the wheel and caster glide to remain in engaged relationabsent sufficient removal force.
 7. The wheel caster glide according toclaim 7, wherein said wheel engaging portion comprises at least one stopmember defined in said wheel receiving region.
 8. The wheel caster glideaccording to claim 7, wherein said wheel engaging portion comprises araised member for narrowing a portion of said receiving region width. 9.The wheel caster glide according to claim 8, wherein said raised memberextends substantially along a length of the wheel.
 10. The wheel casterglide according to claim 8, wherein said raised member extends less thansubstantially a length of the wheel.